US may impose sanctions on Pak over Iran gas import deal

Islamabad: The United States is expected to impose economic sanctions on Pakistan as it plans to import Iranian gas to meet its increasing energy needs.

A US newspaper report said Washington would impose sanctions on Islamabad if it goes ahead with the project.

The report comes as Pakistan enters a deal with an Iranian company to build its side of pipeline to materialise its plan to import gas, the News reports.

According to the paper, the report said the US had conveyed its message to all the diplomats that it will be in their own national interest to refrain from such activities prohibited under the United Nations and the US laws.

The newspaper said that Washington encourages Pakistan to import gas from Turkmenistan as an alternate to meet its energy needs instead of relying on Iran, the paper added.